Hyderabad: For the first time since the formation of the Chandrababu Naidu-led NDA government in Andhra Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the state Wednesday, and inaugurated or laid the foundation stone for projects worth over Rs 2.08 lakh crore.
Among these is NTPC Green Energy Limited’s mega Rs 1,85,000 crore Green Hydrogen Hub project at Pudimadaka near Visakhapatnam, the first such hub under the National Green Hydrogen Mission.
Andhra Pradesh (AP) is the home base of two important NDA allies, Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the JanaSena Party (JSP). The former, with 16 Lok Sabha MPs, is the BJP’s biggest partner in the NDA. While junior partner JSP has two Lok Sabha MPs, the BJP won three seats here.
In a show of strength and solidarity, Modi, flanked by Naidu and his deputy Pawan Kalyan on either side, held a roadshow in the heart of Visakhapatnam Wednesday evening.
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The rally of about a kilometre served as a reminder of a similar show on 8 May last year, days ahead of the 13 May simultaneous polls in Andhra Pradesh. Modi had then greeted voters in Vijayawada from a special vehicle top, flanked by Naidu and Kalyan.
The three parties together registered a spectacular victory over former CM Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSRCP in the simultaneous polls, winning 164 out of 175 assembly seats. Modi was last in AP on 12 June last year, attending Naidu and his cabinet’s swearing-in ceremony, near Vijayawada.
In a public meeting at the Andhra University Engineering College grounds following the road show, Naidu showered praise on Modi, hailing him “as a futuristic thinking PM, the tallest among the global leaders, under whom India is destined to prosper”.
Reminding the gathering that the TDP-BJP-JSP combined achieved a 93 percent strike rate in the polls, Naidu said “the combine will last forever and Modi will continue to be the PM”.
Stating that the Haryana and Maharashtra poll results are reflective of Modi’s unwavering charisma, the TDP chief predicted an NDA victory in the impending Delhi assembly polls too.
Thanking the PM for the mega projects, Naidu said that with his vision-inspiration, blessings and support, “we will complete Amaravati capital and Polavaram irrigation projects”.
In his speech, deputy CM Kalyan said that AP’s trust in the NDA alliance resulted in projects worth Rs 2 lakh crore coming to the state, with a potential of 7.5 lakh job opportunities.
However, the opposition YSRCP criticised the coalition government “for re-inaugurating projects initiated during Jagan Mohan Reddy’s tenure” and slammed it “for misleading the public with exaggerated claims”.
Speaking to the media at Tadepalli, former MP Margani Bharat said the Prime Minister’s foundation-laying ceremonies for projects such as the Green Hydrogen Plant, Railway Zone, and Bulk Drug Park were results of groundwork laid by the previous YSRCP government. “TDP-led coalition is claiming credit for Jagan-YSRCP initiatives while failing to attract any new industries in its current tenure.”
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‘AP land of opportunities, possibilities’
The PM laying the foundation stone for the NTPC’s state-of-the-art Green Hydrogen Hub project is a major step towards the Centre’s commitment for green energy and sustainable future, a statement from the PMO said.
The project entails an investment of about Rs 1.85 lakh crore, including investment in 20 GW renewable energy capacities, making it one of India’s largest integrated green hydrogen production facilities with a capacity of producing 1500 TPD Green Hydrogen and 7500 TPD Green Hydrogen derivatives including Green Methanol, Green Urea and Sustainable Aviation Fuel, primarily targeting the export market. The project will contribute substantially in achieving India’s non-fossil energy capacity target of 500 GW by 2030, said an official statement.
The PM also initiated various railway and road projects worth over Rs 19,500 crore in Andhra Pradesh including the South Coast Railway Headquarters at Visakhapatnam, a long-time demand of the Uttarandhra region.
The foundation stone was also laid for the Bulk Drug Park at Nakkapalli in Anakapalli district, near Visakhapatnam. The project envisages thousands of jobs while helping accelerate economic growth due to its proximity to the Visakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor (VCIC) and Visakhapatnam-Kakinada Petroleum, Chemical and Petrochemical Investment Region.
The Prime Minister also remotely laid the foundation stone of the Krishnapatnam Industrial Area (KRIS City) under Chennai Bengaluru Industrial Corridor, in Tirupati district. KRIS City, a flagship project under the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme, is envisioned as a greenfield industrial smart city. The project, which aims to attract manufacturing investments of Rs 10,500 crore, is also projected to create around 1 lakh direct and indirect jobs, to enhance regional progress.
In his speech, Modi described AP as a land of opportunities and possibilities and that the Centre-State will together achieve all that CM Naidu is aspiring for the state, in order for it to become a 2.5 trillion-dollar economy by 2047.
“The projects initiated today will take AP to new development heights. The state has been an IT hub and now is the time for AP to become the centre of futuristic technologies,” he added.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
